This very interesting short colour cine film from Cyril Chandler shows what looks
like the whole of the town enjoying the Stonehouse summer Welcome Home Fete, July
14th 1945 on the recreation ground. The crowning of the Welcome Home Queen was by
Mrs C Winterbotham.

If you look close there are posters around asking to vote for Bobby Perkins (Conservative)
and also for Ben Parkin (Labour), these two gentleman were opposing each other in
the July 5th 1945 General Election just after the war, the first General Election
since 1931. Ben Parkin beat Bobby Perkins who had been MP since 1931.

It was the very first time a Labour party MP had won the Stroud area. The posters
also question who has won because they did not know the result. Apparently the results
were a long time coming that year, it was belated because they needed to wait for
the collection of the ballot papers from the forces abroad.

It was July 26th when the result was announced. Ben Parkin remained MP until 1950.